GB2481792A

GB2481792A - Electricity generator using the effect of natural temperature variation on bimetallic coils

Info

Publication number: GB2481792A
Application number: GB1011225.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Sinclair Clarke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-05
Filing date: 2010-07-05
Publication date: 2012-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2030-07-05
Also published as: GB201011225D0; GB2481792B

Abstract

An electricity generating system includes a number of large bi-metallic spring coils 1 fixed at their outer ends to a supporting structure 4 and attached at their inner ends to a common axle 5 which is rotated slowly, eg at a rate of 180 degrees every 12 hours, by the effect of nature daily temperature changes, due to the rotation of the Earth, on the bimetallic coils 1. The axle 5 drives the generator 11 via a gear train 6 which greatly increases the speed of rotation of the generator 11. Each coil 1 is formed from two strips of metal fastened together, the outer strip of metal 2, eg bronze or copper, having a higher contraction and expansion rate compared to that of the inner strip of metal 3, eg iron or steel. Reflective surfaces 13 may be placed below and behind the bi-metallic spring coils in order to concentrate the sun's energy upon them.

Description

ELECTRICITY GENERATOR

The invention relates to generating electricity by a dynamo being turned by an input movement source.

The sources of electricity generahon that exist are of two main types; those that run on some kind of combustible fuel or heat-producing reactive material to drive steam turbines, as may be coal, gas, oil or petrol-fired or nuclear-power generators, and then there are those that harness the "renewable" and clean sources of nature such as hydro-electric power generators, wind-turbines, photo-voltaic generators and thermo-electric generators. The former group suffers from the significant disadvantage that they pollute in one form or another, either immediately or for the future and with the risk of highly disastrous contamnabon, which is why the latter group have come about. However, the latter group themselves suffer from the disadvantage that in the case of hydra-electric power an enormous amount of land is taken-up, which may have ecological consequences, and is also not viable in many countries or lands where there is not a valley system that can be used, and the effectiveness of wind-turbines, photo-voltaic and thermo-electric generators is dependent on the presence or force of the elements which they harness; wind-turbines can only generate electricity when the wind is strong enough, and photo-voltaic and thermo-electric generators can only generate electricity if the sunshine is strong enough. They also therefore have geographical limitations. This is a particular pity with wind-turbines and photo-voltaic and thermo-electric generators as they are not solely applicable to use on an industrial scale nationally, but are also applicable in smaller versions to particular and domestic power production.

An object of this invention then is to provide an electricity generator that can be used on a large or small scale, can be used in any geographical location, does not take up large amounts of space, and runs from a clean and renewable energy source that is constant and permanent. It will work all throughout the day and every day of the year, and every year evermore.

Accordingly, it harnesses an energy source that is the permanent rotation of the Earth in relation to the Sun. This translates for any fixed point on the planet into the change from day into night and night into day, which is constant and permanent. This change from day into night and night into day causes temperature changes on the surface of the Earth, which may differ according to geographic location across the globe in the difference between one extreme (the coldest, when the greatest part of the Sun's energy that had heated the land there has disappeared) and the other (the hottest, when the Sun's rays have heated that land the most they can in that day-cycle), which are constant and permanent. This invention converts the oscillation in temperature at the location to kinetic energy in rotary movement, to turn a dynamo and produce a constant flow of electricity.

The invention consists of a large spring-coil, or series of them, which are in fact giant bi-metallic strips composed of one metal that expands through heating to as great an extent as possible wrapped round another that expands to a comparatively much lesser extent, which are at their outer ends harnessed to the ground or an un-moving structure, and at their central ends attached to an axel, which is in following connected to a system of consecutive gears to increase to a much greater extent the rotary movement of the aforementioned axel, outputting their greatly increased rotary movement to a dynamo.

The invention works by the bi-metallic spring coils tightening and loosening, as one metal layer (which should be the outermost as it receives the Sun's rays the most) of the coils expands more in relation to the other, therefore making the whole metal strip curl round further on itself and therefore turn the axel to which they are attached in the centre, whose rotation is amplified greatly, even thousandfolds, by the successive sequence of gears to which it is attached, and the output rotation as said turning the dynamo.

The expansion and contraction of metals on this scale is demonstrated and can be observed in the expansion of railway tracks in the sun, and the force the metal has in that in the summer when the tracks expand beyond the allowance gaps they have between their extremities, they buckle out of shape pushing against each other. For this reason the bi-metallic spring coils must be of thick enough strips of metal to provide the force to drive the high gear train necessary to create the amount of rotation required in order to produce the electricity required.

The exact size of the invention, the dimensions of the bi-metallic spring coils, the particular metals chosen (although there are preferable choices), their number, the ratio of the gearing system and the number of gears, and the specifications and output of the dynamo are not essential to this invention; the variation of these factors will be determined by the electricity output desired. The materials of the axel, gearing system, shafts in the gearing system and supporting structure are not specific either to this invention and may be those deemed most effective and appropriate, such as light but tough alloys for the gears, for the particular application.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 shows a three-dimensional view of the whole generator; FIGURE 2 shows a schematic side-view of the bi-metallic spring coil or coils to show their form; FIGURE 3 shows a section of a bi-metallic spring coil; FIGURE 4 shows a schematic plan-view of the generator, showing the sequence, distribution and lay-out of its parts, though as said numbers of coils and gears are not essential and only a possibility of numbers is therefore illustrated.

As shown in Figure 1, the generator comprises a number, which may vary according to the output desired of large bi-metallic spring coils 1, which are formed from two large strips of metal fastened together, one on top of the other: an outer strip of metal 2 which has a higher contraction and expansion rate compared to that of the inner strip of metal 3. Figure 2 shows a schematic side-view of the spring coils to show their coil-form. An example of suitable combinations of metals is bronze or copper for the outer strip, and iron or steel as the inner strip. The exact metals are not essential to this invention, only that one expands and contracts with temperature changes more than the other, and obviously the greater difference in expansion and contraction rates between the two the greater benefit there will be in power production. Figure 3 shows a detailed section of a bi-metallic spring coil, and shows that it is comprised of two strips of different metals together. Obviously if iron is used then it should be covered with a protective coating to prevent it from rusting. The method of fixing the two strips together is also not essential to this invention. It is essential only that by some form they are fixed. Any form of fixing, for example riveting, that does fix is applicable.

The outer ends of the bi-metallic spring coils are attached a supporting structure 4 which may include the ground, a solid and un-moving structure such as may be an architectural structure, or a frame that must ensure that no parts of the mechanism move from their positions in relation to each other. Its particular design is not essential to the invention, only that it holds all parts firmly in position. The other ends of the bi-metallic spring coils in the centre of the coils are attached to an axel 5 which is the same for all the coils and runs through them all and is held by the same structure to maintain it in the position at the centre of the coils, and the ends of the coils at their centres also, and which is allowed to rotate freely in the supporting structure. The method of attaching the bi-metallic spring coils to the supporting structure and axel is also not essential to this invention. It is essential only that by some form they are attached.

Any form of attaching, for example riveting or welding, that does attach them is applicable. For free rotation of the axel in the supporting structure a bearing may be included, but its type or design is not essential to the invention.

One end of the axel extends from the bi-metallic spring coils and connects to a gear train 6, which consists of a series of larger gears 7, one of which is that to which the axel connects, and much smaller ones 8. Figure 4 shows the layout of the gear train. As said, the first gear, connected to the axel, is a larger gear, and the larger gear transmits its rotation to a smaller gear, which rotates at a higher speed, and which s connected threcty to another larger gear behind t va a connecting shaft 9, and then that larger gear again transmthng ts rotation to another sma'ler gear, and so on. The gears must be he'd firmly in position in re'ation to the spring coi's and axe, which may be achieved through them being he'd in the same supporting structure 4, or a separate sub-structure if fixed firm'y to the ground or another trnrhir v'h n rrhtrhir rn rrteidr rkin nrt tr ninflnn nnh the functioning of the mechamsm. This is on'y appicabe to the outer strip which shou'd undergo the greatest expansion and contraction, but similar'y the inner strip may be coloured white or a reflective co'our, for examp'e with a thin coat of flexib'e paint, or by another form to create the same effect, such as may be galvanising with zinc.

The last important thing that is to be considered is the location and orientation of the generator: this needs to be where the Sun s rays reach the most in the particular locality for which it is destined, and be facing (side or long-ways on as appears the whole generator, and with its open side if it has reflective surfaces below and behind it) south in the Northern hemisphere and north in the Southern hemisphere.

Claims

CLAIMS1 An electricity generator including any number of strips of metal composed of two separate layers of metal to form bi-metallic strips, one having a higher expansion and contraction rate through temperature change than the other, in the form of spring-coils attached at their outer ends to a solid support and at their inner ends to an axel which through a gear train of any number of successive large to small gear combinations to increase rotation then connects to a dynamo which, upon being rotated by the spring-coils turning the axel as they tighten and loosen through daily temperature change, produces electricity.
2. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim I where any combination of metals is used to create the bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils.
3. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2 where any form of fixing or joining the two metals to make the bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils, including riveting and welding, is used.
4. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3 where there are any number of bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils.
5. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3 or Claim 4 where there are any number of gears in the gear train.
6. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4 or Claim 5 where any ratio of gearing between the gears is found in the gear train.
7. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5 or Claim 6 where any form of dynamo, whether Alternating Current or Direct Current output is used.
8. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6 or Claim 7 where the output current of the dynamo runs through any form of electrical current modifying andlor storage equipment such as may be regulators, inverters and batteries.
9. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7 or Claim 8 where behind and below reflective surfaces are located in order to concentrate the Sun's energy on the bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils.
10. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8 or Claim 9 where as an addition a gearbox such as those used in wind-turbines is used to regulate the output rotation from the mechanism into the dynamo.
11. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9 or Claim 10 where the bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils, axel, gear train with its shafts, dynamo and any optional equipment not strictly essential to the invention are held within a support or series of supports of any form, materials and design.
12 An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 10 or Claim 11 where any form or technology of fixing or joining, such as riveting, welding or any other, is used to attach the bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils to the axel and to the support or supports.
13. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, ClaimS, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 10, Claim 11 or Claim 12 where any form or design of bearings are used within the support or supports to aid the free rotation of axel and shafts.
14. An electricty generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Clam 4, ClaimS, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 10, Claim 11 Claim 12 or Claim 13 where any kind of cover unit is used to cover and protect any of or aH the gear train, dynamo and electrical current modifying equipment.
15. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 10, Claim 11, Claim 12, Claim 13 or Claim 14 where the indwidual parts and the generator in its totality are of any size, destined for any use, and giving any level of electricity output.
16. An electricity generator as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 10, Claim 11, Claim 12, Claim 13, Claim 14 or Claim 15 where the bi-metallic strips in the form of spring coils are coloured by any means, for example with a coating of any form such as paint or by being given a darkened or smoked surface, in order to aid the absorption and dissipation of heat energy from the Sun.
17. An electricity generator as claimed in any preceding claim which in total is made from any combination of metal, plastics material, stone, brick, ceramic, earth, clay or wood.
18. An electricity generator substantially as herein described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.